Huawei redeploys over 300 Indian workers in global operations

NEW DELHI: Equipment maker Huawei India today said it has shifted over 300 Indian employees to manage global operations from its India centre due to downturn in the domestic telecom sector amid policy uncertainty.

Due to the "downturn in the telecom sector here following policy uncertainty, the company has redeployed 300 Indian workforce to service foreign operations from here", the company said.

The move will help curb the attrition rate in the company, Huawei that employs over 6,000 people in India said.

"Despite current downturn in the telecom industry, Huawei remains confident in Indian market. We are reposing our faith in Indian employees and have been minimising the impact of restructuring by providing global deployment opportunities and redeployment assistance," Huawei India CEO Cai Liquin told PTI.

Business of telecom equipment makers has been affected due to cancellation of 122 telecom licences by the Supreme Court in February.

Existing telecom operators have slowed down their expansions due to uncertainty on government decision over spectrum auction and one-time charge that is to be levied for airwaves held by them.

Also, massive payout of over Rs 1 lakh crore for 3G airwaves and wireless broadband spectrum have also slowed down the expansion activities of telecom operators.

Huawei said that redeployment of existing employees in its Global Service Resource Center (GSRC) and Global Competence Center is to keep employee engaged on the projects.

"Many of these employees in the GSRC and GCC platforms are deeply engaged in supporting our leading international telecom clients in Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and Middle East," Huawei India Executive Director A Sethuraman said.

According to HR Firm Fasttrack International, attrition rate at Huawei has been around 5 per cent.

"Currently the general telecom industry attrition is in the range of 12 per cent but Huawei has managed to keep the attrition at reasonable level of approximately 5 per cent," Fasttrack International CEO Vishal Gupta said.